Change of Fate
by creativelydifferent
Summary: Hermione had not thought she would end up in a different world let alone going on an adventure with thirteen dwarves, a hobbit and a wizard. She had definitely not planned on falling in love with the king of the dwarves. HP and Hobbit crossover. Hermione/Thorin
1. Chapter 1

**I own nothing except bits of plot**

**Chapter One**

Hermione Granger was a lot of things; smart, a book lover and over-achiever. She fought for her friends but hated fighting. She hated it because of situations just like the one she was currently in: her own wand scattered a few from her while someone else's wand was pointed at her neck.

And there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. Her life and others were in the hands of their captors and Harry's ability to stall enough for help to come. Hermione knew that the Death Eaters would kill them all even if Harry followed their demands and handed over the golden globe he was carrying. It wasn't her impending death that made the whole situation unbearable. It was the uselessness. She couldn't do a thing. She couldn't protect her friends and she certainly couldn't take away the guilt that Harry was undoubtedly feeling for putting his friends in harm's way.

Soft footsteps caught Hermione's attention and hope filled her; if Sirius was here surely that meant the Order wasn't too far behind?

As soon as Sirius punched Lucius Malfoy the rest of the Order showed up; different members freed the helpless students and distracted the Death Eaters holding them. Hermione was quick to grab her wand, shooting spell after spell at the masked wizards and witches. She could see Harry fighting alongside Sirius and Ron, Luna, Neville and Ginny were being ushered by Remus to shelter.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted to her, waving his arms at her to join him.

Hermione hesitated, eyeing the quickest – and safest – route to Ron. Most of the duels were happening on the edges of the circular room. The centre of the circle was almost bare except for Sirius and Harry and the strange arch not too far from them. She figured it would be easy enough to get around them all and she knew she needed to get out of the way.

Taking a deep breath she began to run, dodging past the few hexes and stunners flying through the room. She could hear Bellatrix Lestrange cackling away as Tonks failed to catch her; Malfoy was throwing petulant insults at Sirius and Ron was still shouting at her, telling her to hurry up. If she hadn't been so out of breath she'd have told him to shut up but as it was she was a little busy trying not to get hit by some stray spell to worry.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bellatrix was suddenly in front of her, wand pointed straight at her.

Hermione raised her wand in time to counter block the array of jinxes being thrown at her. The death eater may have been insane but there was no denying how powerful she was. The force of her curses caused Hermione to continually step backwards. She was exhausted, physically and magically, by the time she realised Bellatrix had effectively herded her right in front of the archway. Before Hermione could react she sent a powerful stunner hitting her straight in the chest and that was all it took for her to stumble back into the arch.

She could see Ron diving for her and Harry's horrified face before she sank through veil and into darkness.

Hermione felt like she had been floating forever; she couldn't tell if her eyes were open or closed. All that was around her was darkness; she could have sworn she could hear Harry and Ron calling for her. Suddenly the gentle floating turned into a free fall; she could feel her hair whipping around her face until she slammed into the ground.

She groaned and sat up slowly, blinking to adjust to the sudden light. She was lying in the middle of a dirt path, trees looming on either side of the track. She couldn't see past the thick greenery and determined she must be in some kind of forest but she had no idea where. Her head was pounding horribly and she wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep but the sound of chatter and hooves caught her attention. She scrambled to her feet, hissing when pain shot through her entire body. She looked around for her wand and snatched it once she'd found it not too far from where she had landed.

Hermione had been so focused on finding her wand she hadn't paid attention to how close the on-comers had gotten. She turned and almost barrelled straight into a man, or at least he looked like a man. He was a few inches taller than her with a long dark beard that had notable streaks of grey running through it. He was staring at her with hard blue eyes and dressed as if he had just come from a medieval fare.

His proximity startled her and she stumbled back a few steps. Nervously she tucked her hair back behind her ear not that it did much. She didn't need a mirror to know her brown hair was a tangled mess just like her clothes were torn and dirty.

"Lady." The man greeted her albeit with no hidden suspicion.

She couldn't help but blush and shuffle awkwardly, "Um, hello?"

An elderly man joined them and Hermione couldn't help but smile when he reminded her of Dumbledore but his presence made her look behind the strange man in front of her. She was definitely outnumbered and didn't know whether to hope for their help or to simply leave her where they found her.

"Are you lost?" The Dumbledore-look-a-like asked kindly, leaning on a wooden staff.

"Could you possibly tell me...where we are?" She asked shyly.

The younger man's eyes narrowed; Hermione couldn't tell if it was from annoyance or further suspicion. "We're just outside the Shire."

"Right." Hermione nodded like she knew what he was talking about. "And where's that?"

"If you follow this path..." The elderly man began.

Hermione interrupted, "No, the name of this world? Where we are?" She had never felt more ridiculous in her life.

In hindsight Hermione realised she probably shouldn't have said anything. It wasn't her brightest moment and having a very sharp sword being pointed at her would be a good lesson to never make that mistake again. Her hands shot up defensively despite wanting to reach for her wand; she couldn't risk them finding out she was a witch and have them try and kill her for it but she was in no shape to try and fight her way out of this mess even if she could.

"Who are you?" The man snarled, his sword pointed straight at her heart.

Hermione looked to the older man for help but he stared at her blankly. "Look, I know it's a little strange but I have no idea where I am." She indicated to her clothing. "Do I look like I'm from here?" She asked him, hoping desperately that being honest would help her out.

He eyed her and slowly lowered his sword. "You didn't answer my question."

"I'm Hermione Granger." She answered quickly, not wanting his sword pointed at her again.

The man looked over to his companion and Hermione noticed the rest of the men on the horses watching closely to what was happening.

"We are in Middle Earth." The elder man told her when his companion made no move to inform her.

Hermione had expected to be in a different time but not a different world. A different time she could have dealt with after all she had read through the different periods of time during her holidays. A different world though? How could she possible survive it?

"Wait!" A cry came from the distance. All turned their attention to a small figure bolting towards them, a long piece of parchment clamped in his hand.

Hermione stared at the child running toward the group and was more than a little shocked to find it wasn't a child. While he was the size of a five year old he clearly showed aspects that of a thirty year old.

"I signed it!" He said breathlessly to the men on the horses with no small amount of triumph.

The company murmured to themselves while one took the offered parchment from the man-child. The elderly man, Hermione noted, looked relieved upon hearing the tiny man's exclamation but the other still had not taken his eyes from Hermione. The blatant staring and the arrival of the man-child frazzled Hermione's already panicked mind. It became too much for her – the physical, mental and emotional stress – until she couldn't focus on the world around her.

Thorin was watching the girl closely. Indeed she was dressed oddly, he could not deny it; dark grey cardigan and skirt that was far too short for a proper lady to be wearing. There was dirt smudged across her torso as if she had fallen onto the ground. Her clothes were torn in various places as if she had just been attacked.

He was not oblivious to the panic crossing her face; the girl had no concept of hiding her emotions but he still could not shake the feeling that something was not right. She seemed to have trouble identifying the hobbit; it had been his arrival that seemed to have been her breaking point. Thorin ignored his kin as they welcomed the company's burglar and watched as the colour drained from her face. That was all the warning he needed; he caught the girl seconds after her eyes fluttered closed and her body sagged.

He couldn't help but admire the beauty of the girl in his arms but her appearance did unsettle him. He could not think of other worlds that were not the one he was living in but her arrival left him with no choice. He did not have the time or luxury to be wondering about where she had come from or what her world was like. And yet it was no coincidence that they happened to find the girl right upon starting their quest.

"She will come with us until we know more." He informed the wizard, his voice leaving no room for argument though he knew he would not receive any.

A/N so this is my attempt at a Hobbit/Harry Potter cross over. It will follow bits of the movie but seeing as I'm only just reading the book I don't know whether things will change. Let me know what you think. This is a Hermione/Thorin story too...


	2. Chapter 2

**I own nothing except bits of the plot**

**Chapter Two**

Thorin ignored the looks he received from his fellow dwarfs as he carried the girl to his pony. He lifted the girl onto the front of his saddle with ease, climbing up behind her. Her limp body slumped against him and her head was tucked just underneath his chin. Thorin grabbed a thin piece of rope and, ignoring the disapproving look from Gandalf, tied the girl's hands onto the front of his saddle.

"Is that really necessary?" The wizard asked once they had begun travelling again.

Thorin kept his eyes on the road in front of him. "I do not want to worry about being attacked."

Even to him his excuse sounded pathetic but he could not shake the feeling that there was something different about this girl. It wasn't just the way she dressed but how she spoke and when he had drawn his sword he saw the effort it took for her to lift her hands in surrender. He had seen how her right hand had flexed, as though wanting to grasp something in defence.

"There is something strange about her." He admitted gruffly to the wizard when he would not avert his eyes.

Gandalf studied the lifeless girl; he too could sense something different about their unexpected addition. There was something powerful but he could not place the source of her power.

Neither said anymore on the topic; Gandalf manoeuvred down to Bilbo and left Thorin with Hermione. The dwarf found her name just as odd as everything else about her. He could not stop his eyes from straying down to her face and he convinced himself it was to ensure she was still unconscious and not because of her undeniable beauty.

His kin did not ask any questions regarding the girl and he did not provide any answers. They did not need to ask; he was their leader and they would follow him literally into a dragon's nest if that was what he asked of them. He could practically feel Kili and Fili's curiosity but neither said anything. They continued forth on their quest and the girl did not stir even as the rain poured over them. It was beginning to darken when she finally came to.

Hermione groaned softly; why was her head pounding? She tried to lift her hand to rub against her aching temple but couldn't. After a moment of useless tugging she opened her eyes, blinking away the blurriness and sleep until she could see clearly. She was no longer in the dense forest that she had landed in but halfway up a small mountain. She tensed, seeing the arms on either side of her and firm hands holding the reins to the horse they were on. It was then that she discovered the reason for her inability to move her hands; someone – the man she assumed – had tied her hands to the saddle.

She wanted to struggle but she knew it was pointless. Every time Hermione shifted the rope rubbed on her wrists and she did not want to remind the man of her helplessness. He must know that she was awake; after all she was pressed right against him, her back against his chest. She could feel his long beard tickle the skin on her neck and the warmth from his body was grudgingly welcomed when she felt the chill in the breeze.

She didn't expect him to speak to her and jumped when he spoke, his voice a deep timbre. "Are you alright?" Though he had asked she doubted whether he truly cared if she was or not.

Hermione felt a flash of annoyance run through her; was he trying to rub in the fact that she was all but unable to defend herself against him? She took a deep breath and willed herself to stay calm; she may not know the man but she was not stupid enough to offend him.

"My head hurts." She admitted quietly, wishing her fingers were free so she could fiddle with something. "And so do my wrists." She added stiffly.

The man made no move to untie her. "We will be stopping soon." He told her.

Hermione wanted to turn around, see the man and try and figure out what he was thinking. His voice gave nothing away and she had always been good at reading people.

She hesitated before asking, "Who are you?"

She felt him stiffen but she did not regret asking him. Honestly, he did know her name and it wasn't as though she could do much damage knowing his name.

"I am Thorin Oakenshield." He introduced himself formally after a moment.

Hermione found his name a little odd but didn't dare tell him that. _He probably thinks the same thing about mine_, Hermione thought to herself. She wished her hands were free to search for her wand. She began to panic; what if her wand had fallen out of her pocket when she had fainted?

Thorin led the group over to a flattened ridge in the mountain that gave them clear view of the ground below. It was high enough that they would be safe from roaming animals and give them the advantage should they be spotted and attacked. He was not surprised to hear the hobbit sigh with relief when it was clear they were stopping for the night. He still could not understand what had possessed Bilbo to follow them or what Gandalf had been thinking when he chose the hobbit as their fourteenth member.

"Fili and Kili gather some wood." He ordered his nephews. "Baggins, prepare some food."

Hermione watched as they all reacted immediately; the two – Fili and Kili – slipped off their horses and disappeared into the night and the rest clambered down off their rides. Thorin dismounted smoothly and Hermione almost fell off from the sudden lack of backrest. If he noticed he did not comment, reaching up to untie her hands from the saddle but Hermione noted disappointedly that he kept them bound together. She couldn't resist glaring at him but he ignored her, all but yanking her off the horse.

It took Hermione a second to gather her bearings when her feet touched the ground. She swayed at first but quickly adjusted, shuffling away from Thorin's grasp when he went to help her. That defiance earned her a warning look from him before he ushered her over to the wall of their little clearing. He gave a firm push against her shoulder to get her onto the ground before helping with the rest of the horses and ensuring they were well tethered for the night.

Hermione huffed indignantly when Thorin shoved her down; honestly, couldn't the man just use words instead of pushing her around the place? She did not know why it was necessary for her hands to remain bound but she figured she wasn't going to win that argument so she settled for studying the strange company she had found herself in.

The elderly man was by far the tallest, Hermione realised. While Thorin was second tallest, the rest of his companions were not that much taller than the man-child. She had been confused before, now she was truly baffled upon realising that the horses were actually ponies. Most of the men had grey or dark hair, though a few had dark brown like Thorin, and she could see the swords and axes dangling from their belts. Most, if not all, were large and had beards almost as long as her hair. They were all dressed in long tunics and thick coats trimmed with fur and leather boots. The man-child was the only exception; he wore a white shirt that was tucked into baggy blue pants with suspenders and a burgundy overcoat. He wore no shoes and Hermione was a little surprised by the large feet on such a small man.

She watched them closely for a moment and, satisfied that they were all busy with their individual tasks, she carefully reached for her pocket. She relaxed upon feeling the familiar length of her wand still tucked safely inside. She did not dare risk pulling it out and instead tucked her knees to her chest and tried to make herself as small as possible feeling the wind pick up. Parts of her skirt were still damp and her legs were bare and exposed to the chilly air of the mountain. She wished absently that she had never gone to the Department of Mysteries in her school uniform.

"Perhaps you would be more comfortable in a change of clothes?" The elderly man suggested kindly as if knowing what she had been thinking.

Hermione jumped a little but smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you." She went to reach for the offered clothes but stopped when she realised they would be no use to her with her hands bound.

The man tutted and looked at Thorin, "Must she remain bound?"

"Yes." He said bluntly, not taking his eyes away from his task.

Hermione couldn't see what he was doing and didn't particularly care. She wanted to argue with him but the older man beat her to it.

"At least let the poor girl change into something a little warmer." He huffed, "Else we will have a sick hostage."

"She is not a hostage." Thorin retorted. "Fine, untie her but when she is changed the rope goes back."

Hermione sighed with relief when the rope was finally removed. "Thank you." She rubbed the tender skin on her wrist.

"Come, there is some privacy back here." The man ushered her behind a large rock. "No, there is no place for her to escape." She heard him say to Thorin once he had left her to change.

Hermione changed quickly, not wanting to risk one of the men to come see what was taking her so long. She slipped her wand into the much larger pocket that thankfully had a small zipper to keep it inside. The dark pants were slightly bigger on her small form and the white shirt had to be tucked in to keep from swamping her small torso. Even though the shirt had long sleeves she knew the thin fabric wouldn't do much good against the weather but it was certainly much more comfortable than her uniform.

She hesitantly came out from behind the boulder, blushing as all the members of the company turned their eyes to her. Nervously she dropped back to the spot that Thorin had dumped her and resumed her earlier position, hoping he would leave her be.

"I believe some introductions need to be made." The elderly man said, "I am Gandalf and you are already acquainted with our leader Thorin. This here is Bilbo," He indicated to the man-child. "And we have Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Dwalin, Fili, Kili, Gloin, Oin, Ori and Nori."

Hermione gave a small wave, "I'm Hermione." She told them quietly.

"What a strange name." One of them said. She thought it might have been Ori but she could not remember which man belonged to what name.

Balin – or at least she thought that's who it was – knocked Ori over the head. Ori muttered out an apology and Hermione couldn't help but smile. He was obviously the youngest of the group and reminded her a little of Neville.

"Now, how did you happen to come to Middle Earth?" Gandalf asked curiously, a pipe in one hand and his staff over his knee.

Hermione hesitated; how to explain without revealing what she was? She did not know what they thought of witches although she had a suspicion Gandalf was a wizard.

"Can I ask...are you a wizard?" She asked him feeling brave. From the corner of her eye she noticed Thorin's eyes narrow at her question.

Gandalf nodded, "I am one of five in Middle Earth."

Hermione blanched; only one in five?

"Is that how you came here? Magic?" Gandalf asked having seen her reaction.

She nodded but couldn't say anymore. Gandalf could sense she was hiding something but did not want to push. Thorin, on the other hand, had no problem pushing for answers that he wanted.

"What is it you are not telling us?" His tone made it very clear that she should answer.

She tapped her fingers nervously against her knee. "What are the chances of you killing me if I tell you?" She asked too anxious not to ask.

Thorin and Gandalf exchanged surprised looks. "We do not mean you harm." Gandalf said gently.

"Right now you don't." She muttered. She knew she had no choice but to tell them. "I'm a witch."

They all gaped at her; they certainly weren't expecting her answer to be that. Now Gandalf understood why she was worried about being attacked; witches weren't well known within Middle Earth. Most that claimed to be witches used trickery instead of actual magic and often stole from those foolish enough to fall for their lies.

"Prove it." Thorin demanded.

Hermione slowly drew out her wand, not wanting them to attack if she moved too quickly. "Lumos." She muttered and her wand lit up in a warm glow. The men jumped and looked to Gandalf for confirmation it was real. Hermione held out her wand to him. "You should probably able to use it but it might be a little bit...temperamental." She warned him, thinking of Seamus and how he could never get spells right with a wand that was not meant for him.

Gandalf took the offered wand and studied it closely. He muttered a few things under his breath and sparks shot up from the tip and into the air. He presented it back to her, "How is it made?"

"Its ten inches and three quarters of vine wood with a dragon heartstring core." She told him.

"You've battled a dragon?" Fili asked excitedly.

She blinked, "No, that's how it is made. A wand maker would have gotten the core." She explained.

"Why did you think we would kill you?" Bilbo asked once the others had finished murmuring to each other.

Hermione shrugged. "Where I'm from witches and wizards live in secret from mu...humans. They used to have witch trials and burn those they thought of being witches alive."

"And you thought we would do that." Thorin added darkly, glaring at her.

She frowned at him. "Do you really blame me? In one minute of us meeting you were pointing a sword at me!"

"Let's stay on topic." Gandalf interrupted hastily, seeing the anger rising in Thorin. "How did you come to travel through worlds?"

She finally looked away from Thorin to answer the older wizard. "I didn't mean to. I was in the middle of a fight when I got hit; I fell through an archway and landed here."

"That explains your bloodied cloths." Gandalf mused. "Do you know how to get back?"

She shook her head sadly, "I think I'm stuck here." She hated the pitying looks she received. Instead she looked over at Bilbo and couldn't help but ask. "What are you?"

He blinked surprised. "I'm a hobbit."

She cocked her head to the side, "What's a hobbit?"

A few of the men chuckled and Bilbo flushed. "We're better known as Halflings, little people as some call us."

"Oh." Was all Hermione could say in response. She'd never heard of a hobbit.

She wanted to ask what the rest of them were, since they clearly weren't hobbits but she could tell they weren't humans either. Thorin caught her eye, practically daring her to ask the question but she simply pursed her lips and looked away.

"Well, now we have two magic-users for our quest." Kili said happily.

She blinked, "What quest?"

Thorin answered before anyone else could. "One you don't need to know about."

Gandalf raised an eyebrow. "It seems we have an addition to our company; it would be wise to inform the girl on our adventure."

Thorin glowered at the wizard. "Fine but we will not be responsible for you."

"I didn't ask you to." She retorted smartly. "I'm quite capable of looking after myself."

"We are going to reclaim our lost home Erebor from the dragon Smaug!" Someone piped up when their leader didn't say anything.

Hermione wrinkled her nose, "How did you lose your home to a dragon?" She asked thinking of the brainless animals from back home.

"The dragon, Smaug, claimed our kingdom for our gold. Dragons will do anything to get gold and Erebor had the greatest treasures." Thorin told her angrily. "Many of our people died because of that dragon and we were left with nothing!"

Hermione now understood why they asked if she had killed any dragons. "I don't think the dragons in my world as the same as here but I'm not entirely useless. I can help." She said confidently. She wasn't the brightest witch of her age for nothing.

Thorin eyed the young witch and couldn't deny that having another magic user would be a bad thing. They needed all the help they could get and he knew it.

So here's the second chapter. Thank you for all the reviews. Let me know what you think...


	3. Chapter 3

**I own nothing except bits of the plot**

**Chapter Three**

After the stew that Bilbo cooked had all but been inhaled the men drifted off to their separate spaces and all but a few stayed awake. Hermione had trouble finishing the dinner offered, mainly because the sight of them eating had been slightly revolting. Fili and Kili, she assumed, were brothers and had been bickering to each other about the finer aspects of killing goblins throughout dinner and still continued. Thorin was sharpening a small dagger and Balin and Gandalf were chatting to each other over the crackle of the fire.

Hermione was left mostly to herself though she noticed the two younger brothers eyeing her curiously. She could feel Thorin's gaze fall on her every now and then but she ignored him and it was that that kept her away from the warmth of the fire. She had been right when she had first put the shirt on – it wasn't doing much to shield her against the cold. She closed her eyes, hoping that if she could fall asleep then she could forget about the cold.

Thorin was doing his best to pay no heed to the girl but he could not understand why she sat so far from the fire when she was clearly freezing. But dwarfs are stubborn and he stayed where he was, sharpening a blade that could not get any sharper and doing his best to pretend she didn't exist. He was still fuming over her assumption that they would try to kill her. He risked another glance feeling like a fool and frowned; she was curled up, her knees to her chest and her arms squeezed to her chest. Her eyes were closed and she was visibly shaking. He clenched his jaw and before he could stop himself he shrugged off his coat and stood. He ignored his two nephews watching him and dumped the thick coat on top of her. He turned quickly, smirking to himself when he heard her indignant spluttering from underneath the heavy material.

She managed to find her way out of the coat and glared at him. "Put it on." He ordered before she could snap at him.

She wanted to argue but she was too damn cold! Muttering to herself about stubborn men she slipped the coat on ignoring how big it was on her and huddled in the giant coat. The coat smelt like him, earthy and musky and **male**.

"Thank you." She said gratefully. "Won't you be cold though?"

He raised a brow at her coolly. "Not near the fire, no."

Hermione bit back the reply she wanted to give, not wanting to lose the warmth she was now curled up in. A loud growl rose up in the distance and both Hermione and Bilbo jolted at the sound.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked panicked.

Kili and Fili shared a glance and Hermione knew they would be exactly like Fred and George. "A warg pack must be close by." Fili commented casually.

Hermione blinked. "A warg pack?" Was that Middle Earth's version of a wolf pack?

"Sort of like wolves but more vicious." Kili told her just as casually as his brother. "And with wargs, orcs are usually not far behind."

Hermione narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the brothers. They shared a smirk at Bilbo's fearful shudder from their words. She had been right from her first assessment of Fili and Kili – they would be just as troublesome as the Weasley twins.

"They usually attack in the middle of the night." Fili added after a long pause. "Do you have orcs in your world, Lady?" He asked turning his gaze to Hermione.

Hermione pursed her lips. "No." She told them, giving the brothers a warning glance.

They ignored her and proceeded to provide unnecessary information to further terrify Bilbo. "They're throat slitters." Kili provided. "No noise, no warning of what's to come."

"Do you two think an orc attack is a joke?" Thorin's voice, angry and annoyed, rose above the soft cackling of the flames.

Hermione watched the brother's expressions quickly go from subtly amused to that of a scolded child. She wondered if there was more between the two brothers and Thorin for him to earn such a reaction from them. Thorin stood, muttering to himself as he moved to the edge of the cliff next to where the ponies were tied. He was staring out into the distance; Hermione wasn't sure if he was looking for the warg pack or if he was simply trying to refrain from growling the brothers some more.

"Don't worry too much lads." She heard Balin say to the brothers. "Thorin has more reason than most to despise orcs."

Hermione listened as Balin recounted the battle at Moria, how Thorin's father led his people (dwarfs, Hermione discovered) against the orcs in an attempt to regain the previous settlement of dwarfs. She glanced over at Thorin as Balin revealed how his grandfather, Thror, was beheaded by the leader of the orcs, Azog. It was that, Balin revealed, that caused Thorin to attack the orc leader and injured him fatally. She couldn't imagine what it would be like seeing something like that happen especially to someone she loved.

"So, you're dwarfs." Hermione stated, more wanting to break the silence that filled the camp.

Balin looked offended, "What did you think we were, lass?"

She shrugged and blushed. "I didn't really know. I've never met a dwarf before." She admitted a little defensively.

All she knew about dwarfs, really, was from stories; they were short and bearded, always seemed to have an axe with them and mined. It was very simplistic and she certainly wasn't going to tell them how her world or rather the muggle world portrayed their race.

"Well if you hadn't told us you were a witch I might have thought you were a dwarf." Balin told her.

"Why?" She asked careful not to sound insulted.

Kili grinned. "You're so short."

"I'm still taller than you." She retorted saucily.

"Yeah, but I bet we're better fighters than you." Fili said coming to his brother's defence.

Hermione raised an eyebrow coolly. "I should hope so otherwise you wouldn't be very useful."

She could have sworn she heard Thorin cough back a snicker at her comment but when she turned to him his face was carefully schooled. The other dwarfs didn't bother to hide their amusement and let out big rumbles of laughter at the brothers expense. Well, more at Fili's expense; Hermione watched Kili jab his brother's side as he laughed but the older sibling didn't seem to care and simply chugged down the rest of his drink.

"Can you fight?" Gandalf asked.

"I can with magic." She told him.

Thorin spoke before Gandalf could. "You will need to use a sword. We don't need word of a witch travelling with a company of dwarfs to reach our enemies."

It made sense. "Fine but I will use magic if it comes to it." She told him, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Thorin didn't argue and it seemed all conversation was to stop. Hermione watched as all but the two brothers lay down around the fire and in minutes loud snoring filled the air. It was a wonder that they had not already been discovered since the combined snoring of five or more dwarfs echoed down the mountain and into the valley below.

Hermione slept restlessly, her first night in Middle Earth. So much had happened in less than a day and all her worries flooded through her the moment she closed her eyes. What had happened back in the Department of Mysteries? Would Ron and Harry try to find her or would they simply forget about her? What about her parents? Would she be trapped in this world forever or will this quest get her killed? Would she want to leave?

She woke with a start, her heart thumping wildly and breathing heavily. She groaned and sat up slowly. It was still dark and she knew it would be for much longer; she hadn't been asleep all that long. The fire had long gone out though there were still a few warm embers; the snores from the dwarfs had quietened but not by much. The brothers had long since fallen asleep, snoring quietly yet clutching their weapons.

She leaned back against the hard rock behind her and tucked Thorin's coat around her as much as she could. She took deep shuddering breaths and forced her tears away; she couldn't afford to let them out no matter how much she wanted the emotional relief that would follow. She needed to be strong. She needed to survive in this world and find her way back home.

"You should be sleeping."

She jumped at the sudden voice and then wanted to smack herself. Of course there would be someone awake, someone to stand guard while the rest of the group slept.

"I know." She looked over at Thorin, still sitting by the fire even though it did more than provide a little light.

He was holding a pipe, taking deep puffs. Hermione wanted to point out all the illnesses that came with smoking but just couldn't. She knew whatever she would say would make no difference to the dwarf. He was staring at her through the smoke and she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"How did you come to Middle Earth?" He asked.

"I've already told you..." She started but he interrupted.

"You told us as much as we needed to know." He grabbed a stick near his foot and jabbed at the fire but no more flames would rise up.

Hermione sighed and stood, shuffling closer to the fire in the thick coat. She pulled out her wand and ignoring the wary look that Thorin gave it, cast a simple fire spell to get the flames back.

"You might come in handy after all." He commented.

Hermione looked over at him, her mouth ready to fire words but she stopped. He was smirking at her, his pipe in between his teeth. The man (or dwarf) knew how to joke? She bristled quietly and sat down on one of the makeshift seats that Dwalin – or was it Bofur? – had made.

"What do you want to know?" She asked, holding her hands over the fire.

"How did you come here?" He repeated his previous question.

She smiled wryly. "Magic." She took a deep breath and explained. "My world – the magical world – is at war only our...leaders didn't want to believe that we were." She looked over at him, continuing when he nodded his understanding. "There was a wizard before I was born that more or less took over the magical world. Everyone feared him – they couldn't even call him by his name.

"He wanted to kill off all muggle borns – witches or wizards that have human parents. Anyone who didn't join him was automatically an enemy. My friend's family was one of those, a powerful old family from the father's side, and he killed them. He tried to kill my friend who was only a year old but the curse rebounded and, instead of killing him, his spirit got away." Hermione explained, trying to keep things simple. "That happened fourteen years ago and last year he became corporeal once more. No one believed Harry apart from a few but no one in any position to make the rest of the wizarding world believe it."

Through her explanation Thorin remained silent, watching Hermione while she explained the war going on in her world. The world of magic was not one that he understood and did not care too but he could not ignore the pull he felt for her.

"...but Harry wouldn't listen. He had to do it his way." She said sounding almost bitter. "When we got to the Department of Mysteries he finally realised it was a trap and that I was right; Voldemort had planted the vision. It was a prophecy he was after, one about him and Harry. That was why he targeted Harry's family when he was a baby." She shrugged and finished her tale, "So, when I was trying to get to safety someone cast a spell and I fell through the archway."

She took a deep breath, feeling lighter now that she had actually spoken about what had happened. She had been glad that he didn't try to interrupt or ask any questions. It was different from when she spoke with Harry and Ron – Ron especially – they could never quite keep up with her mind.

"I'm sure this sounds silly compared to..." She trailed off and looked down, not wanting to remind him of the death of his grandfather.

Thorin didn't know what to say; he barely gave thought to anything beyond regaining his lost home and destroying the dragon that stole it from his people. But Hermione's account of her world put things into perspective for him; Balin and the other dwarfs had told him he did not need to go on this quest, reminding him of what he had done for his people. He made the choice to begin this journey; Hermione, it sounded, did not have that same choice. She was loyal, that much he now knew, and would have continued fighting.

"I don't know how to use a sword." She confessed after a moment.

Thorin smiled despite himself. "I know."

"I can be useful." She said adamantly. "I can cook and I can do magic without drawing attention to us. I can put enchantments around the campsites to keep us hidden."

That got Thorin's attention. "That would be helpful." That way his companions could all get a good night sleep. They wouldn't be worried about being attacked.

"I could probably learn how to use a sword." She said more to herself. "If only I had a few books..."

Thorin listened to her mumble a list of what she could or couldn't do. With each passing word she became less coherent and her eyes began to droop. He was not surprised when she fell back asleep; he was surprised when she slumped down against him, using his shoulder as a pillow. He couldn't be more grateful that his kin were asleep at this moment so he would not have to hear their comments at his position. He woke Balin, the only one he knew that would not mention this to the rest of the company, before he gently moved Hermione so that he could stretch his legs out in front of him.

Here's the next chapter. Thanks for all the reviews and I hope that little bit cleared up Hermione's height. She's the same height as Thorin who is taller than the others.


	4. Chapter 4

**I own nothing except bits of plot**

**Chapter Four**

Thorin, as usual, woke just as the sun was coming up. Dwalin, the last to take watch, was wide awake and grinning at him or rather the position he was in. Hermione was tucked into his side, his coat still wrapped around her, and she looked quite comfortable sleeping on the dwarf king. He had not had the heart to move her once she had fallen asleep on him and he knew that she needed more rest after hearing her tale.

"Not a word." He said warningly to one of his oldest companions. Dwalin had fought beside him at Moria.

The dwarf continued to grin but set about making breakfast. Thorin knew that once the smell of cooked food reached the rest of the company they would wake in order to get the food while it was still hot. Thorin gently shook Hermione awake, not particularly wanting his blasted nephews to see the girl sleeping on him and also wanting to make sure she got some food in before it was all gone.

"Hermione." He said quietly, not wanting to frighten her.

She muttered something and slowly opened her eyes, blinking to adjust to the light. It took a few moments for her to process who was staring down at her and who she was currently cuddled up against. She bolted upright, blushing, and muttered out a string of apologies. Her hair was frizzier than normal and her shirt was crinkled and askew from sleeping on him.

"Have breakfast." Thorin nudged her toward the food that Dwalin had just finished cooking. "If you wait for the others you will not get any." He warned her when she hesitated.

All Hermione had to do was remember the previous night's dinner and she accepted the offered plate of meat, bread and eggs from the amused dwarf. She avoided both men and resumed her seat by the fire. Thorin and Dwalin both helped themselves to a large share of the food and joined her at the fire. That was how the rest of the sleeping company found them and almost immediately they headed for the food. Hermione felt sorry for Bilbo, who hopped from foot to foot anxiously as he waited for the larger dwarfs in front of him to get out of the way. Reaching in between Hermione grabbed a decent serving of the food and passed it to the hobbit.

"Thank you Miss Hermione." Bilbo said gratefully, plonking down next to her.

"You can call me Hermione." She told him with a smile.

Bilbo simply sighed happily and dug in to his food. Hermione watched, once again, as the dwarfs all but destroyed the remainder of the food. It was as though they would never see it again. Thorin couldn't help but chuckle at her expression as she watched Bombur scoff down his food.

"They are actually being quite well mannered." Thorin said to her.

She looked over at him incredulously. "Please tell me you're joking." She couldn't quite tell if the dwarf king was joking or not until she saw the humour in his eyes.

It did not last long and once everyone had finished eating they were back on the ponies. Hermione hesitated, not knowing who she was riding with but Thorin had apparently already made that decision for her. Without any warning she felt two hands clamp down on her waist and hoist her effortlessly on to Thorin's saddle. The pony whinnied and shook his head and Hermione clamped her hands down on the front of the saddle anxiously. She had never ridden a horse in her life despite having been brought up in the muggle world. Her parents were often too busy with work and the times that they did go on vacation were usually for relaxation.

She glared down at Thorin who, it seemed, was having a little too much fun teasing her. He smirked and climbed up behind her. He reached around her petite frame to grab the reins; the action forced her to lean back against him so he could steer the horse without difficulty.

"Careful Uncle Thorin..." Fili's voice came from behind them.

"She might fall asleep on you again." Kili finished for his brother.

Hermione heard the sigh of annoyance from Thorin and wondered how those two could get away with such things with the stern man.

"Kili, come up here." Hermione called to him sweetly. She could practically feel Thorin's horrified look but shushed him when he went to argue. She turned her head and watched as the younger of the two brothers trotted over on his pony. "No, Fili. You stay down there." She said when he moved to join his brother.

Even when they were separated they still had matching expressions of horror. "But..." Kili began.

Hermione gave one of her best disapproving looks that always, without fail, worked on Ron when she wanted him to do his homework. She smirked when the brothers slumped down on the rides with defeat.

"Never has anyone been able to separate those two." Thorin said in disbelief.

She shrugged. "I've met worse. Think those two plus being identical _plus_ having magic and pranking people."

Thorin silently agreed with her, suddenly grateful his nephews couldn't do magic. Durin knew he would never get any peace from his sister's children. They had always gotten into mischief though Kili was usually the instigator, and Fili following along to protect his little brother.

"How old are you?" Thorin asked before he could stop himself. He knew it was not polite to question a lady about her age but she acted far older than she appeared.

Hermione didn't seem bothered by the question or if she was, managed to hide it from the rarely curious dwarf. "I'm sixteen." Only by a month or so but she wasn't about to tell him that. "Are dwarfs immortal?"

"No, we are just one of a few long lived races like you." Thorin answered.

Hermione knew it wasn't uncommon for a witch or wizard to live over a hundred but she had a feeling it wasn't the same in this world. There were times when Gandalf spoke that showed him older than he appeared.

It seemed that was the end of the conversation; Thorin kept his eyes on the trail in front of him and all but ignored the company following him. Hermione was content to study the land around them; they were heading around another fountain and toward what looked like more forest but she couldn't be sure at such a distance.

The day passed on and they didn't stop for very long, the odd rest or toilet break but Thorin was not an easy leader. Hermione found quickly that he did not like delays and listened only to Gandalf's directions or Balin's advice. He had a short temper that much was clear and was incredibly stubborn and proud.

"We'll rest here." Thorin barked out to the group, ignoring Gandalf's advice to continue and rest somewhere else.

Hermione couldn't help but feel uneasy at the spot; the abandoned house was warning enough that something wasn't right here but the fact that Gandalf also warned against staying should have been more than enough to satisfy the dwarf. She watched uneasy as Gandalf, muttering to himself about stubborn dwarfs, returned to his horse and disappeared into the night.

"Kili, Fili – go mind the horses. Baggins, we're all hungry!" Thorin, it seemed, was wearing thin on his patience.

Hermione, still on top of the pony, frowned at Thorin but didn't argue with him. He was their leader after all and she was far too tired to consider scolding him for his treatment of the others. Eyeing the pony she was on she slowly rolled on to her tummy, swinging one leg around to the other. She was just about to slide down when very familiar hands grabbed her and helped her down.

"Thanks." She sighed relieved, glad she hadn't made a fool of herself trying to dismount.

Thorin nodded and returned to help the rest of the dwarfs with setting up a fire and looking for wood. She led hers and Thorin's pony over to where Fili and Kili had rounded up the rest of the ponies and left it in their care. By the time she had gotten back a fire had been started and Bilbo was already churning a large pot of stew.

Knowing that there would still be some time until the food was ready Hermione kept busy by beginning the spells over the camp. She could see a few of the dwarfs watching her curiously but she ignored them, glad to finally do something of use though she knew it would take a while for Thorin to accept its use and trust the wards.

Satisfied that her wards were strong and would keep out unwanted creatures and intruders she accepted the seat that Ori had prepared for her. She was half way through her stew when something occurred to her.

"Where did Bilbo go?" Hermione asked finally realising who was missing from the camp.

Thorin scanned the area but didn't seem particularly alarmed by the missing hobbit. "I sent him to Fili and Kili with food."

"But shouldn't he be back by now?" Hermione couldn't shake the feeling that there was something not quite right about this place.

Fili and Kili chose that moment to come bursting into the campsite. Words were flying from their mouths before they had stopped moving.

"...horses were missing..."

"...didn't want to come back without..."

"...sent Bilbo in to get them..."

"...he's so light on his feet..."

"...but he's a little stiff..."

"...so we came back for help..."

"...just in case."

The brothers finally stopped and stared at their leader waiting his orders. Thorin had become less and less impressed with each passing word. Hermione was just as furious at them but for a different reason; how could they leave Bilbo alone? And did she hear something about mountain trolls?

"You left him there?" Hermione finally snapped at them but held a silencing hand before they could try and explain everything again.

"What are we waiting for?" Dwalin growled and jumped to his feet.

Hermione watched bemused as the dwarven men gathered their weapons. She began to join them but Thorin stopped her.

"Wait here. You'll just get in the way." He said shortly.

Hermione gaped at his retreating back. She couldn't believe the nerve of the man! Did he really think she could not help in a fight? He knew that she had fought before; just because her fighting wasn't with a sword that didn't mean it was any less effective.

"I'll show him." She muttered stubbornly and followed the path the dwarfs had taken. She wanted to prove capable of fighting to Thorin and to herself.

It hadn't taken very long to find the trolls. All she had to do was follow the sound of swords clashing and grunting to know she was going in the right direction. But it seemed she arrived at the worst possible moment; two trolls each held an arm and leg of Bilbo's, threatening to split him in half. It had been Thorin who dropped his sword first, the rest following disgruntled. Hermione quickly tucked her wand up her sleeve just as one of the trolls shoved her into Thorin. With a sword pointed at them and Bilbo still in the clutches of the other trolls they had no choice but to do what they wanted.

Somehow Hermione and Thorin had been allocated to the same sack, despite her attempt to talk them out of it. Riding on a pony with the dwarf was one thing but being trapped in a sack was an unpleasant experience. She was pressed up against him tightly and the thick ropes wrapped around their arms and legs made her feel all the more claustrophobic. The combined heat from their bodies did nothing to make the situation any less unpleasant. At some point the trolls were so focused on tying some of the dwarfs to a spit that they tripped over themselves and had it not been for Thorin's quick thinking and rolling them out of the way they would surely have been squished. Instead Hermione had ended up with Thorin on top of her.

"Shit." She cursed as the air left her lungs.

If it had been any other situation Thorin might have found her swearing to be amusing. As it was he was angry at her for ignoring his orders and putting herself in danger.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed in her ear.

She took a deep breath as he rolled them over though it didn't do too much. "I was coming to help. If you had of waited I might've told you I could help."

"With three mountain trolls?"

"Are you forgetting that I'm a witch?" She snapped.

He was silently fuming. "Have you?"

The sound of Bilbo talking got their attention. She gave him a pointed look and began to carefully pull her wand out ignoring his frown. She knew Bilbo was distracting the trolls but that wouldn't last too long. The wriggling from the sacks next to them almost made her drop her wand and it had been Thorin's quick kick and frown that silenced them.

Grasping her wand she quietly whispered a few cutting curses on both the sack covering her and Thorin as well as the other dwarfs. She was quicker to get to her feet and sent stunners over at the trolls. They were slow and clumsy and definitely not expecting the attack against them.

Despite their surprise attack it had been Gandalf that solved the problem. With a loud shout at the trolls to get their attention he smashed a small boulder that had been blocking the sunrise. Hermione groaned to herself, knowing that trolls turned to stone from exposure to sunlight.

"Where did you go Gandalf?" Bilbo asked the wizard while the dwarfs helped the others down.

Gandalf muttered some witty reply to the hobbit but Hermione wasn't particularly interested. She could have smacked Kili and Fili for this whole situation. She kept her mouth shut upon seeing their apologetic faces. At least they had the sense to come back for help, she told herself. She hated to think how much worse things would have ended up if they had tried to take care of the trolls themselves.

"There must be a cave somewhere nearby." Gandalf said more to himself than anyone else.

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think or if there's anything I should do differently. I'm sort of just going with things.


	5. Chapter 5

**I own nothing except bits of the plot**

**Chapter Five**

Hermione was doing her best to stay calm. She'd counted to ten – twice! – and still wanted to smack the blasted dwarfs. She didn't want to put any blame on Gandalf but really, the wizard had been the one to suggest looking for whatever cave the trolls hid in during the day. And they had found it along with the foul stench and bones of all their victims. That hadn't been what got the dwarfs attention; it had been the treasure.

She had wanted to leave the cave as soon as they found it; really, who wanted to go searching through a cave that trolls had been in? The smell should have been their first deterrent but Hermione was apparently the only one bothered by it – well, and Bilbo. The hobbit seemed to be just as uneasy about the cave but she supposed that was more because of the bones scattered on the cave floor. The dwarfs, however, ignored everything but the piles of gold that they found. They began to dig a hole while Thorin and Gandalf assessed a pile of weapons over to one side.

"Is that really necessary?" She finally asked the three dwarfs.

Bombur, Bifur and Dwalin looked up at her. "We're just making a long term deposit."

"You know – in case we live so we can come back and get it."

Hermione shook her head and moved over to Gandalf. The wizard was giving Thorin a disapproving look and she wondered how many times the dwarf king had been on the receiving end of that look since the beginning of his quest.

"Ah, I believe you will need one of these." Gandalf said to her cheerfully, handing her a long blade that was still sheathed.

Hermione took it hesitantly; it was surprisingly light for such a long sword. She pulled the hilt and was amazed to see that the blade had not been damaged or rusted despite being found in the dank cave.

"I don't think..." She began, still unsure about carrying the large weapon.

Thorin cut in. "You need a weapon." And that was the end of that conversation.

Hermione sighed as she wrapped the belt around her waist. It felt odd having the sword dangling by her side but it wasn't uncomfortable. _If only Ron and Harry could see me now_, she thought.

She followed Gandalf and Thorin out of the cave, rolling her eyes at the dwarfs stumbling over each other to follow them out. They had just gotten back to the stone trolls when something came crashing through the trees. It wasn't a something, Hermione realised, but someone. He appeared on some type of sleigh but it wasn't dogs that were pulling it; they were rabbits. Gandalf apparently knew the stranger, greeting him and talking in hushed whispers with him. She watched curiously as the stranger handed Gandalf a wrapped package; whatever it was, Hermione could feel the dark magic practically rolling off it.

"This is Radagast, another wizard." Gandalf introduced the man who gave a small nod to the dwarfs.

Before either wizard could speak a howl rose in the distance only it wasn't all that far away. Thorin was immediately alert as were the rest of the dwarfs.

"Who did you tell of your quest, Thorin Oakenshield?" Gandalf boomed at the dwarf.

Thorin wasn't intimidated, "No one."

"Who did you tell?" Gandalf repeated.

"No one. What is going on?" Thorin retorted defensively.

Gandalf looked worried. "You are being hunted."

It was then the Fili and Kili chose to provide information that made the situation all the more worse. "The ponies bolted."

Thorin cursed angrily. "We have to get out of here!"

_Way to state the obvious,_ she thought sarcastically.

"I know a way." Gandalf said more to himself than the others.

"I can draw them off." Radagast told Gandalf, hoping back onto his sleigh.

Gandalf looked at his friend worriedly. "Those are wargs, Radagast. They'll run you down."

Radagast snorted. "These are Ruskabel rabbits; I'd like to see them try." He said haughtily.

Hermione couldn't help but giggle as they rode off. It didn't last long; they were soon bolting out of the forest. Hermione was doing her best to focus on the ground and where she was going but it definitely proved difficult. She tripped more than once and stumbled into the brothers when she managed to keep up. They each grabbed one of her arms and pulled her along and she had never been quite so grateful for them until then.

She thought for sure that they were getting closer to wherever Gandalf wanted. She could see the edge of the forest and felt hopeful but that quickly diminished when she saw the open plains. They paused at the end, watching as Radagast led the wargs and their riders over to one side and then they were running again. Gandalf pulled them to a pause as Radagast turned sharply, leading the wargs back the other way. Then they were moving again, darting behind another large boulder.

The brothers were so focused on the wargs that they let go of Hermione, ready to grab their weapons should they need to fight. She, however, was trying to catch her breath and looking around for any sign of the wargs and had not been prepared for the next sprint for safety. She got half way there when she saw the wargs dart around and had no choice but to hide away from the others.

"Oh shit." She muttered to herself.

The others, however, only noticed her absence when Gandalf abruptly pulled them against the hard rock as Radagast zoomed past on his rabbits.

"Where's Hermione?" He asked, having scanned over the company to ensure they were all still there.

Thorin whipped his head around to scan the group. A sinking feeling filled him and he did not think as he went to retrace their steps to find her. Gandalf grabbed him and just as well, seeing the wargs run past.

"Get them to safety. We will find you." Thorin ordered the wizard before he set off.

Hermione had yet to move; she had no idea where she needed to go or if it was even safe. Gathering what was left of her Gryffindor courage she took a deep breath and ran, heading in the same direction that the others had gone in. Her heart was thumping when she finally got to safety; she could hear the orcs barking to each other as they chased Radagast. She kept her back up against the rock and slid across to the edge, peaking into the distance. There were two rocks that she could choose from; pulling out her wand she cast a quick direction spell and groaned when it was the further of the two.

She waited a few more minutes before sprinting to the rock. She could hear her heart thumping in her ear and almost thought it was the orcs chasing her. She glanced behind her, checking that there was nothing following her and crashed straight into something. She almost screamed but a hand clamped down on her mouth and shoved her against the wall.

She stared at Thorin but it took Hermione a few seconds to process it was him and not something trying to kill her. She relaxed and he lowered his hand; now that he had found her he felt his worry change to fury. Hermione saw the change of emotions go through him and winced inwardly.

"I know you're angry but right now we don't have time for you to have a hissy fit." She whispered, not knowing how close by any orcs might be.

He hated that she was right but nonetheless kept his angry words to himself. He was not known to censor his words when he was angry and knew he would regret saying anything to her at that moment. Instead he grabbed her hand and with quick glance around heading back to where he had left the rest of the company. Thorin had expected them to be long gone and the anger that he had just suppressed came flooding back.

"You should have gone." He hissed at the wizard.

Gandalf scowled at him. "And how would you have found us?"

The wizard didn't give him time to retort, holding up a silencing hand. Thorin froze, hearing the growl from above and he looked over at Kili, nudging him. Hermione watched Kili prepare his bow and quicker than she would have thought possible for the dwarf he stepped out and fired at the scout. The warg let out a loud roar and fell off the rock, tossing its rider to the ground; Thorin was quick to kill the orc with one swift slice from his sword.

"This way." Gandalf cried and they were off.

There was no use pretending to hide; Radagast had all but disappeared. The wargs were coming from all directions and the dwarfs, hobbit and witch had no choice but to follow the wizard.

"Where are you leading us?" Thorin shouted at Gandalf when they stopped.

Gandalf appeared to be looking for something and disappeared. Hermione pulled out her wand and before Thorin could object she cast a quick shield around them. It was well timed, the wargs crashing into it seconds later and soon they were prowling outside waiting for their prey.

"It won't last." She said to Thorin surprised it had even lasted this long.

"Come quickly!" She heard Gandalf call.

Hermione followed the sound of Gandalf's voice and watched, wide eyed, as he jumped down into a ditch. She watched nervously as each dwarf jumped down into the hidden hole. Gandalf waved for her to go down but she hesitated a moment too long. Thorin grabbed her and together they slid down, thumping on the hard ground just as her shield broke. She waited for the onslaught of wargs and orcs but it didn't come, only the body of a dead orc. Thorin grabbed an arrow from its corpse and muttered something angrily to Gandalf who all but ignored him.

"Should we follow the path?" One of the dwarfs shouted.

"Yes." Gandalf said with an exasperated sigh.

Hermione groaned and didn't want to move. Her body was aching and she was covered in dirt. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this exhausted. It had been easier going back in time in third year and keeping out of sight than this. Sighing she got to her feet and followed the rest of the group; Thorin had all but jumped to his feet and stormed away the moment they touched the ground.

They continued in silence, Gandalf taking the lead. The path was flat but it had small nooks that made it difficult for some of the larger dwarfs to fit through. They were all relieved when they saw the light at the end and they quickened their pace. Being at the end of the line she was the last to see where the secret path had led too. She could see Thorin's anger and felt dread; what could be that bad? Where had Gandalf led them to?

Only it wasn't bad at all; Hermione couldn't remember seeing something quite as stunning as the city she was looking down at. It looked as though it was literally on top of waterfalls; she could see all the buildings were carved out of wood and lush greenery surrounded the area.

"This will require a good deal of tact and charm; leave the talking to me." Gandalf said to Thorin.

Hermione snickered to herself and smiled innocently when Thorin heard her. From the dwarfs expression she guessed they didn't particularly like the people that the city belonged to.

"I've always wanted to see Rivendell." She heard Bilbo say.

She moved next to him, "What's Rivendell?" She asked curiously.

"It's an Elvin city." Bilbo told her excitedly.

Elves! Hermione was just as excited as Bilbo now; she had been greatly disappointed when the magical world back home only revealed house elves but to finally see a real elf! The dwarfs were less than excited as they made their way down the path to the main entrance to the city. They stayed close together, some grasping their weapons suspiciously. Hermione thought they were being incredibly stupid but she didn't know the whole story so she kept her opinions to herself.

An elf greeted the group and Hermione was amazed by the grace of the man. She listened raptly as Gandalf spoke with the man in what she assumed was elfish. Gandalf had been about to retort to the man when the sound of hooves echoed through the city. The dwarfs huddled in close as a group of Elvin warriors came riding in; Hermione stepped back next to Gandalf and sighed exasperated when they all grabbed their weapons. She felt sorry for Bilbo who was stuck somewhere in the group.

She met Thorin's eyes and even though she told herself that she wouldn't pass judgement until she knew the story between their races she couldn't help but let her disapproval show. She was surprised to see him lower his eyes almost apologetically but that quickly changed when an elf dismounted his horse to talk to Gandalf.

"Lord Elrond." Gandalf said with a smile. She watched as he did a strange gesture and she deducted that must be an Elvin greeting.

"Gandalf." Lord Elrond returned the greeting and spoke in his native language.

Hermione desperately wanted to know what they were discussing. If there was one thing she disliked it was being kept out of the loop. Lord Elrond seemed amused as he spoke with Gandalf and that amusement didn't fade as he approached Thorin.

"Thorin Oakenshield." He greeted smoothly. He then continued to say something to the dwarfs in Elfish.

Hermione tsked disapprovingly at both the elf and the dwarfs who held their weapons up defensively, assuming the elf was insulting them.

"He offered you food." Gandalf informed them dryly.

They huddled in, murmuring to themselves and Hermione had had enough. She turned to the Elvin man and said sweetly, "They thank you for your hospitality Lord Elrond." She turned back to the dwarfs and gave them a challenging look.

They bristled indignantly but they didn't object. Most were desperate for a good meal and a chance to rest in peace without the worry of being attacked. Lord Elrond smiled at the girl and led them into the city.

"Forgive me, Lord Elrond. This is Hermione, a young witch from a different world." Gandalf said.

Elrond did not seem surprised by this news. "I am aware of Lady Hermione's appearance in our world."

"You are? How?" Thorin interrupted, stepping up beside Hermione protectively. His distrust of the Elvin race was more than clear.

Elrond stopped and turned to the dwarf. "She is meant to be here."

"I am?" Hermione asked. She had not thought anyone would have answers to how she came to Middle Earth. It had never occurred to her that she was here for a purpose and not because of an accident.

Elrond paused; Gandalf could see mischief in the older elf's eyes.

"You are here because Thorin Oakenshield will not be able to complete his quest without his soul mate."

So thank you for all the reviews. I'm glad everyone seems to be enjoying it so far. I hope the last bit didn't make people change their minds. Let me know!


	6. Chapter 6

**I own nothing except bits of the plot**

**Chapter Six**

Hermione felt faint. She knew she should probably say something but the words were stuck. He had to be mistaken. There was no way that Thorin and her...it wasn't possible...did she even believe in soul mates? Did she even think of Thorin in that way? No but how could she? She had only known the man – dwarf – for a few days and that was certainly not enough time to develop feelings for someone.

"Perhaps the Lady might like to freshen up?" Lord Elrond suggested kindly, not unaware of what he had just done to the poor girl.

She nodded faintly and allowed herself to be more or less pulled away by a passing elf. She couldn't bear to look at Thorin, afraid of what she might see in his blue eyes. It was just as well for Thorin was glaring at the much taller Elf. He had heard the shocked gasps from his men, the ones who had heard; soul mates were not to be taken lightly even amongst dwarfs. In fact, it was rare for a dwarf to have a soul mate with so few women left in their race.

"Do not speak of such things!" Thorin snarled when she was out of hearing range.

Lord Elrond held up a calming hand. "Forgive me. Please, this way."

The elf continued to lead the dwarfs and hobbit up a staircase until they had reached a balcony. A table was filled with Elfish food and the dwarfs didn't hesitate, rushing over and helping themselves to the offered food. Thorin was glad his men were finally getting a decent meal even if it was from the courtesy of elves.

"Where's Hermione?" Bilbo asked worriedly, having noticed the absent witch.

"She is of no concern of ours!" Thorin snarled at the hobbit. "She will be staying in Rivendell where she cannot get in our way. She has been nothing more than a nuisance."

The dwarfs were taken aback by their leader's sudden anger toward the young witch. Thorin's response surprised even him not that he would admit it. Thorin was not old but dwarf years nor was he young. He had been more carefree during his youth, before Smaug had ripped his home from him and his people. Since those days he had not considered being with a woman for more than a night. And yet he could not deny the truth he felt in the Elvin Lord's words; she was his soul mate. It was his responsibility, then, to ensure she stayed as far away from this quest as possible.

Hermione was grateful to shower, washing away the grime and dirt that had built up over the days travelling. Her muscles relaxed and her tension slowly melted away as the water ran over her. She had been surprised to find a fresh pair of pants – they were more like leggings – and a light green tunic that fit her much better than the one Gandalf had lent her. Next to them was a simple red dress that fell to the floor; she traced her fingers over the material, astonished at the smooth and silky feel of the fabric. It was one of the finest dresses she had seen and fit her perfectly even if the neck line was lower than she was accustomed to.

Hunger gnawing at her Hermione set out to find where the rest of the company had been taken to. All she needed to do was follow the sounds of laughter to find the dwarfs; as she expected they had all but devoured most of the food even though most of it was green and there was no meat. Most of the dwarfs had their backs to her and the ones that were facing her were too busy shoving food in their mouths to notice her arrival. Knowing that she couldn't help but let her gaze linger on Thorin, still unable to come to decision about the Elf's words. Could that really be the reason why she had been sent to Middle Earth?

Hermione smiled as Bilbo asked about her and wondered what the hobbit had been thinking agreeing to Thorin's adventure. Her smile faded hearing Thorin's cold voice as he told them she wasn't going to continue with them. Her heart twisted in her chest and she couldn't explain the pain she felt from his words. It was worse than anything she'd felt before – worse than when Ron had made fun of her for helping him in charms class or all the times Malfoy called her a Mudblood.

With her head held high she stepped into the room, smiling at the dwarfs that greeted her happily despite their leader's harsh words moments before. Hermione couldn't tell if they agreed with Thorin and thought of her as a burden. She ignored Thorin, taking a seat as far away from him as she possibly could and turned to the side so she couldn't see him and as a result missed the stunned look on his face at seeing her, well, clean and dressed in clothes that fitted her.

"Here, Lady." A gentle voice said to Hermione.

She looked up, startled to find a very attractive dark haired elf smiling down at her. He was holding out a book to her which she took with a questioning look.

"It is a book of Elvin magic." The Elf explained, taking a seat next to her. "Lord Elrond thought this might come of use to you."

Hermione beamed at him. "Thank you." She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, feeling a little shy. "I'm Hermione."

The Elf seemed beyond excited that she was talking to him. "I am Elrohir, son of Elrond."

"Lord Elrond is your father?" She asked surprised.

He nodded his grey eyes a calming effect on Hermione's rather raw nerves. "I am one of three of his children. Can you read Elvish?" He asked, indicating to the book in her hand.

She shook her head disappointedly. "I suppose this won't do me much good now." She had been so excited to have something to read and the thought that she wouldn't was quite depressing for the bookworm.

Elrohir brightened. "Please, allow me to teach you what I can."

Hermione nodded eagerly; if there was one thing she loved other than reading it was learning. Elrohir, she found, was a patient teacher and a very good one. He explained the different runes to her and how to pronounce them. She became so enrapt in his words that she did not notice the dark glare that Thorin was sending their way.

What was she doing? Was she trying to infuriate him further? Perhaps she thought Lord Elrond's words to be as ridiculous as he. He was beyond furious with the Elf who was (in his mind) taking advantage of Hermione's youth and naivety. The Elf should surely know better!

"Maybe he is simply trying to make her feel welcome." Gandalf said and Thorin blushed, realising he had said his last thought out loud.

"Why wouldn't she feel welcome?" He grunted stabbing at the food on his plate.

"Perhaps she heard some less than pleasant words about her." Gandalf said with raised brows.

Thorin hated the gut wrenching feeling that tore through him when he realised she had heard him. Now he understood why she had ignored him when she had entered. He had been unable to take his eyes off her since she had stepped into the room and it wasn't because of Elrond's words. The dress the elves had given her made her all the more beautiful; her hair was clean and shone in the sunlight and he could see the smoothness of her skin now that it was not hidden by dirt.

But she did not seem too hurt by his words; she did not seem bothered by anything. She was too busy talking with that damn Elf. The Elf was sitting too close to her for his comfort and when Hermione's head was lowered in concentration he looked over at Thorin and smirked before whispering something to the witch. The dwarf king began to rise, infuriated, but Gandalf's voice interrupted him.

"Perhaps we had best speak with Lord Elrond."

Thorin hesitated, glancing over at Hermione once more before nodding. He needed to be as far away from her as possible. He could not think straight and damn if he didn't want to hit that elf!

Hermione, despite her best, was not completely unaware of Thorin's eyes on her. It was Elrohir that told her, his voice light and teasing as he pointed out her admirer. She had immediately dismissed that idea and returned to the book in front of her but she could feel his eyes on her. To say she was relieved when Gandalf finally ushered him out of the room along with Bilbo was an understatement.

"You are not supposed to fight with your soul mate." Elrohir said disapprovingly when he saw her visibly relax from Thorin's departure.

She blushed. "No...We're not...it's completely ridiculous..." She stammered unaware of the rest of the dwarven company staring at her in shock.

"Soul mates?" Balin gasped. "That's..."

"We told you!" Fili and Kili said at the same time.

"It's ridiculous, isn't it?" Hermione cut in ignoring the brothers. "I..."

Balin stopped her. "It's incredibly rare. You should not make light of this, lass. Finding one's soul mate is a gift."

The way he spoke made Hermione feel like a fool for how she reacted to it but then she remembered Thorin. "He doesn't seem too excited." She pointed out crossly.

The dwarfs exchanged looks. "He will come around lass." Balin said calmly. "You both need time but do not doubt it."

"Even though it was an Elf that told us?" Hermione knew it was a low blow but she couldn't help it.

A few of them winced but it was surprisingly Dwalin who replied. "Elf's are a lot of things but they are not liars."

Hermione huffed and turned back to the book, muttering out spells with no luck. "My magic isn't as strong here." She sighed, lowering her wand.

She had not wanted to admit it but the truth was ever since coming to Middle Earth her magic was weak at most. Hermione was not sure if it was because of travelling through to another world or if it was simply the matter of adjusting to a world with different balances and orders.

Elrohir nodded. "It is your wand. You are too strong for it." He said as though that should have been obvious to her. "Try without the wand."

Feeling foolish she muttered out the spell for water; the dwarfs cheered as all their glasses filled with water. She gaped at what had just happened; never had she been able to do such magic before.

"Magic here is much stronger." Elrohir explained when she told him that. "The wizards that live in Middle Earth are required to use staffs not so that they can do magic but to limit their power."

Hermione was relieved knowing that her magic wasn't disappearing. Being able to do wandless magic would make everything easier; she would never need to worry about carrying around a wand. But she also knew she would need to experiment with other spells from both this world and hers to determine whether her wandless abilities were the same for all spells. It had definitely improved Hermione's mood and she no longer felt like the burden that she believed Thorin saw her as.

That was how she spent the rest of the night casting different spells. Some were healing spells that she attempted on some of the willing – drunk – dwarfs and others were defensive ones on some of the (very) drunk dwarfs. She had been careful not to put too much force behind those spells and none of the dwarfs seemed to notice. In fact, they found it rather amusing to see each other being cursed in different ways; Fili had particularly enjoyed seeing his younger brother cursed with a tickling hex. His laughter had been short lived when she caused his beard to disappear. Everyone knows (except Hermione that is) to never mess with a dwarf's beard.

The brothers had insisted on escorting her to the room the Elf's had assigned to her. She watched them stumble down the corridor unsure whether to be concerned or amused at the two. They were, no doubt, about to get up to mischief but she hadn't the heart to stop them. It would be the first night in a long time coming that they would be able to be this relaxed and carefree. She knew Thorin would not want to stay long in Rivendell.

She slipped into her room and felt her exhaustion take over. It had been days since she had slept properly and a good night sleep would do wonders for her. She laid out some pyjamas on the bed and had just been about to undress when she heard her door click shut. She whirled around, ready for an attack.

"I did not mean to startle you." Thorin said quietly, leaning against the door.

Hermione did not relax. She felt caged in and she wanted nothing more than to escape. "Well, you did."

He pushed away from the wall and with a few steps he was right in front of her. She watched as his hands clenched and unclenched at his side. She had never really noticed how she was almost the same height as him; for a dwarf he was tall but she knew she had been taller than five foot in her world. Her mind whispered to her that it was fate showing them they were meant to be together but she pushed that thought away.

"We should talk." Thorin said but there was an uncertainty in his voice that startled Hermione.

She stepped back and took in his tense posture and confused eyes. It had not occurred to her that he would be just as confused by their apparent connection as she was. She had assumed that he would think nothing of it.

"Do you believe what Lord Elrond said?" She asked him, unable to meet his gaze.

She wanted to look at him but couldn't. "Yes."

"Why?" She asked puzzled.

Thorin sighed and turned. "I may distrust Elves but they are no liars."

"So you don't trust Elves but you believe what they say?" Hermione asked sarcastically. "I'm glad you cleared that up."

Thorin whirled around, his hands clenched into fists. "Do you think I am not surprised by this as well?"

"How was I supposed to know? Instead of talking to me about it you told everyone I was staying here!" Hermione snapped back.

He took a step closer, "It is not safe for you to come with us."

"Who the hell are you to decide what's safe and what isn't? Have you even fought a dragon? Do you know anything _about_ dragons?" Hermione retorted taking a step toward him. "I do; I happen to know how to hurt a dragon, how to kill it or even hatch one! I have known just as much danger as you Thorin."

They were practically touching, unaware that through their argument they had gotten closer and closer to each other. Hermione was only a few centimetres shorter than the dwarf king and being as close as she was she could feel his warmth radiating from his body. Her eyes unwillingly darted down to his lips and back up to his eyes, stunned by the raw need she saw in them.

"If it is true and you are my soul mate," Thorin began softly, "then you must stay safe."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, if it is true and you're _my_ soul mate then you have to stay safe. And since I've already seen how little thought you give things and act without thinking you're going to need someone to keep you level headed."

Thorin couldn't think straight when she was so close to him. He had not been this close to an unrelated female in years. He could smell the Elvin soap that she had used and for once was grateful to the Elves for their hospitality.

"Fine." Thorin reluctantly agreed. "But you will do as I say and keep out of harm's way."

She rolled her eyes. "Like that will happen."

She went to turn away but he stopped her, catching her hand in his. His hands were rough from decades of hard work and fighting; they were the hands of a man. Hermione felt a strange tingle course through her at his touch. She had never felt more alive than when she was with him. She had never truly been alone with him, she realised, and it was in that moment that she believed Lord Elrond's words; they were soul mates. She held her breath, waiting for him to make the first move. She saw his uncertainty change to desire as he leaned down, capturing her lips with his.

Hermione had never been kissed properly before; not that she would tell Thorin that. The small kiss Victor Krum had given her on her hand had never really counted to her but this was a kiss. Hermione finally knew what all the girls in her dormitory had been gossiping about. She had thought kissing was overrated until that moment. His lips were surprisingly soft against hers and at some point their bodies pressed against each others. She could feel the muscle that was hidden underneath his blue tunic; her hands trailed up his arms to his shoulders, not surprised by the strength she could feel.

He broke the kiss but did not step back as she expected him too. She couldn't help but duck her head down, feeling understandably shy. He placed a finger under her chin, gently lifting her head.

"Don't hide from me." He whispered. He kissed her again and then again, stopping before he let himself go too far. "You'd better rest; we're sneaking out in the night. I will come get you when it is time."

So here's the next chapter. I know it's a little soon but it's just a kiss. Since I haven't actually read the entire book I may end up being a little slow updating once I've gotten up to where the movie left off. Hopefully it won't take me too long but I want to get everything right. Thank you for all the reviews; checking my mail is one of the fun parts of my day now.


	7. Chapter 7

**I own nothing except bits of the plot**

**Chapter Seven**

Thorin stood motionless outside Hermione's room. He was having difficulty processing what he had just done. He had kissed her. He had kissed a sixteen year old girl, a girl that was not even from his world. He had not lied to her; he did believe that she was his soul mate but there were many things to come between the two before they were at that stage. Now he could only hope that she came to her senses as he had.

Hermione, as expected, was over analysing the entire situation. Should she have kissed him back? Sure, it had been one heck of a first kiss but the more realistic, sensible part of her reprimanded her for giving in. She barely knew the man – dwarf, whatever – and to go ahead and kiss him? It was not like her to do such a thing but the other side, the more romantic part of her couldn't regret it.

She wished that she had Ginny or even Luna to talk to; she wasn't one of those girls that thought about boys. She didn't have any experience aside from going to the Yule ball with Victor Krum and she didn't really count that as experience.

But there was one tiny detail about all of this that was bugging her – the soul mate aspect. Thorin seemed to believe it; he'd even told her that he believed it but she couldn't help but mentally scoff at the idea. It seemed too fairy tale for her to take seriously; is that how they explained being attracted to the opposite sex? But then she remembered how she had felt during their kiss; it had seemed to clear to her then. She had believed that he was her soul mate.

Hermione groaned and slid into bed; the thoughts churning in her mind were giving her a headache. She blew out the candle next to her bed and despite being tired she could not sleep. She couldn't stop wondering what was in store for her. Everything was so clear and simple in her world; she went to school, studied, occasionally battled off some evil with her friends and went home for the holidays. This time it was different. She could die on this trip. She might never go home. She might never see her friends. It wasn't like this was the first time she had thought of all this either. It had been plaguing her mind since Lord Elrond confirmed she was stuck here.

At some point she drifted off into a restless sleep and woke to a less than subtle thump on her door. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes and slipped out of bed. She flung open the door and stared at Ori less than impressed.

"Isn't this supposed to be a secret sneak out?" She asked him.

He blushed. "Sorry. We're meeting in five." With that he darted off muttering to himself.

She sighed and was glad she had prepared her pack before she went to sleep. She had cast an undetectable extension charm on it and had packed all the books she could get her hands on. She had packed some clothes and bandages; she had left enough room for whatever food or drinks she could get without the Elves realising.

She had just left her room, the door clicking closed quietly behind her when a soft cough came from behind her. She wheeled around and smiled innocently at Elrohir. "Hi."

"Morning." He said with a knowing smile.

"So..."

"You're sneaking out with the dwarves." Elrohir deducted. "I figured as much. Is there anything you need?"

Hermione wasn't surprised that he knew and she smiled gratefully at him. "Some food and water; I've cast a spell on my pack to fit more things in it."

Elrohir nodded. "I will meet you where the dwarfs are departing from with supplies."

"Thank you Elrohir. I hope someday I can repay your kindness." She meant it too.

He gave her a small bow and disappeared down the hallway. She headed down to where they had come into Rivendell, smiling at the assembly of dwarves and Bilbo. They were checking that they had everything packed and grunted out greetings to her when they noticed her arrival. She stayed away from Thorin still unsure about her feelings about their kiss.

"What is he doing here?" Thorin hissed glancing over at Hermione angrily.

She noticed Elrohir and ignored Thorin. "Thank you." She said to the Elf as she accepted the bundles of food from him.

"It is all I could get without raising suspicion." He said calmly ignoring the glares from the dwarfs. "Here is some water and wine." He said finally glancing up at the dwarfs.

That certainly changed the looks he was receiving. They grumbled and nodded to him gratefully knowing how hard the road will be for them. Elrohir chuckled and helped Hermione fit it all into her pack.

"How did it all fit?" Bilbo asked finally.

Hermione smiled as she zipped up her pack. "I put a spell on it – undetectable extension charm."

"Oh." Bilbo nodded as if he knew what she was talking about.

"Farewell." Elrohir said to her while the rest of the company gaped at her. "You are always welcome at Rivendell."

Hermione gave one last smile before turning away from the Elf and the beautiful city. She sighed and began to follow the dwarfs up the path, keeping her eyes pinned ahead. She didn't know what she would do if she turned back to look at Rivendell; she had almost considered staying but knew she would never forgive herself if she didn't help where she could.

Thorin was at the front of the line leading them up the path. He hadn't spoken to her since seeing Elrohir and she couldn't help but feel glad he hadn't tried to speak with her. She was still far too confused about everything but she had decided that another kiss would not happen again or at least for a long time.

The road was much harder than what they had previously travelled or perhaps that was simply because they were travelling by foot. The path was rocky and more than once did it cause members of the group to trip and fall over. After Bombur fell for the third time Thorin reluctantly slowed down the pace but not by much. He wasn't bothered by the less than pleasant look he received from some of the members of the group or maybe it was just because he didn't see them.

"So Hermione, what's your world like?" Bilbo asked several hours after they had left Rivendell.

The group had paused for a quick rest next to a stream. They were all tired from the trek so far and they knew it was only going to get harder.

"It's different." Hermione said hesitantly. "It's more...well, advanced." She said awkwardly, not liking to point this out to them. "Humans have advanced with technology and the magical world is hidden from humans."

"Why?" Bofur asked.

"Is it because they tried to burn witches?" Gloin asked.

Hermione shrugged. "It's for safety I suppose. Humans usually fear what they don't understand."

"So how do you learn magic if you're all hiding from humans?" Kili asked.

"Our Ministry is hidden from humans and so are our schools. I go to a boarding school for witches and wizards and that's where I study." She explained.

"You're not the only girl to study?" Bombur asked surprised.

She nodded. "There are lots; women have the same right as men in both the magical world and the human world."

Thorin listened to all of this quietly. He was interested in the world Hermione was from but he didn't know how to ask her. The others, it seemed, had no problem raising their questions and asking about her experiences. He listened as she told them about her different teachers, chuckling quietly at her descriptions of one called Hagrid, a half giant with a love of animals. The dwarves had not known whether to be amused or horrified by the story of Norbert, the dragon he had hatched when she was eleven. They had been more interested in hearing about his three headed dog, Fluffy, that needed to be sung to in order to go to sleep.

Soon they fhey continued their trek. Some of the dwarves began singing to pass the time but Hermione couldn't figure out how they could keep up the tune without running out of breath. She supposed that having their bags lightened with the help of magic might have something to do with their new found cheeriness.

"Have you and Thorin spoken?" Hermione would have ignored the question if it had come from anyone but Gandalf.

He had caught up with them easily, not giving much away about what had happened with the Elves. He had been walking most of the time with Thorin, deep in conversation about routes and back up plans should they need them.

"Not really." Hermione admitted reluctantly. She didn't particularly want to talk about the dwarf and even less with the wizard.

Gandalf gave her a knowing look. "It is something I would have let you two figure out in your own time but you cannot ignore what you know."

"You knew?" She exclaimed.

Gandalf chuckled. "Of course I knew. I'm surprised you did not figure it out yourself."

"Soul mates aren't something that really exists in my world." Hermione muttered. "I don't even believe in soul mates."

"Soul mates exist everywhere." Gandalf said wisely. "Most just don't know when they find them."

"Yeah, I know. It's rare and I should value it, blah, blah, blah." Hermione rolled her eyes. "You can't just tell two people they're soul mates and expect them to fall in love straight away. I know nothing about Thorin and he knows even less about me."

Gandalf nodded. "But how do you expect him to know you and you to know him if you won't talk?"

Hermione shot the wizard a dirty look and didn't answer. She didn't want to accept the logic behind his question. Truth was, she wanted to know more about Thorin – had wanted to well before she was told about being soul mates – but she was stubborn and apparently he was too. He was ignoring her just as much as she was him only he did it with an obvious that made her want to smack him.

She sighed and kept her thoughts to herself. She didn't need to worry about something as silly as soul mates. This quest was going to be difficult enough as it was without adding the tension between the two. If they both survived the adventure – as Bilbo called it – then she might reconsider getting to know him.

Sorry for the late update. I've been a bit busy but I'll hopefully have the next one up in a week or so. Thanks for all the reviews – just to clarify, The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings isn't going to exist in Hermione's world for this story. Let me know what you think.


	8. Chapter 8

**I own nothing except bits of the plot**

**Chapter Eight**

Hermione didn't know whether to be furious or frustrated with Thorin. It had been a week since they had left Rivendell and not one word had been exchanged between the two. Of course, she refused to be the first to break the silence; he had been the one to kiss her. Surely it couldn't be too hard for him to come up with a question or two to ask her but apparently it was.

So she made friends with the rest of the dwarves. She listened to Balin's account of their history, learning about Thorin's ancestry and more about what had happened with the dragon Smaug. Knowing the full story made her feel more sorry for the company of dwarves; they had literally lost everything. It also explained their anger toward the Elves but she couldn't understand why it was to all Elves. Lord Elrond hadn't been there that day so why did he get blamed for actions that weren't his? Still, she kept that to herself and made a mental note to try and one day rebuild the friendship between the two – if she ever got the chance, that is.

Aside from Balin, she mostly spent time with Fili, Kili and Bilbo. The brothers were hard to ignore and there were times they reminded her a little too much of Ron and Harry, just shorter and they bickered like her and Ron used to. But they were great company and the closest to her age and she appreciated more than she let on their easy nature and friendship. Bilbo she couldn't help but feel sorry for. He really didn't have a clue what he was doing amongst the company of dwarves except pass out the food when it was cooked. She liked hearing about his home, the Shire, and his hobbit hole that he lived in; he had already promised to show her once their adventure was over and done with.

The rest of the dwarves were certainly good company but they were more interested in farting, eating and drinking than she liked. Still, she chatted amongst them and helped cook dinner and patiently had to inform Ori that women – which included female dwarves – were easy to talk to. Since she was the first female to ever really talk to him – besides his mother – he blushed and nodded with her.

Thorin could see the effort she had made to make the rest of the company comfortable with a female travelling with them. She hadn't seemed bothered being surrounded by men but he understood when he heard her talking about her closest friends, Harry and Ron. He thought they were odd names for men and he knew the others thought that as well but they didn't want to offend the young witch by telling her that. She didn't notice the awkwardness that some of the dwarves had with her presence. It was mainly with the older ones; Fili and Kili had no problem conversing with her as did the hobbit whom it seemed preferred her company out of everyone in the group.

He found himself wanting more than once to sit with her at night like they had on her first night in Middle Earth. He cursed the blasted Elf repeatedly for revealing that they were soul mates; couldn't he have simply let them be? She had been more comfortable with him when she had been tied to his horse!

But he knew, though he would never admit it, that had he not been told Thorin probably wouldn't have allowed himself to even consider developing feelings for her. Their age difference, for one, was greater than she realised. He was nearly two hundred even if he didn't look it and she had only just turned sixteen, still a child in dwarf years.

"What has got your mind so muddled this evening, Thorin?" Gandalf asked him quietly.

He hated hearing the amusement in the wizard's voice. Damn him, he already knew what plagued his thoughts. The girl was murmuring spells, creating a safe place for the company to sleep without fear of being attacked in the night. He could not stop thinking about their kiss that had felt so right at the time but now caused nothing but confusion and frustration within the dwarf.

"I am fine." He retorted gruffly, pulling out his pipe.

He did not take his eyes off her. She sat with the hobbit who was still more of an inconvenience than help to the group and he would have no problems telling him that if it weren't for Hermione's developing friendship with Bilbo.

"We haven't taught her how to use that!" Fili all but shouted.

Thorin frowned at his nephew but understood when he saw Hermione holding the sword Gandalf had given her. She was eyeing it wearily and he chuckled quietly at her expression. It appeared she was not overly impressed with the weapon.

"I think I'll stick to magic." She said finally moving to put the sword down.

Kili shook his head. "You need to know how to use it. Thorin said so."

Kili had said something similar to his brother as a child; it was usually how arguments were won between the two. Even at a young age the brother's had obeyed whatever Thorin had said and he knew they would continue to do so even if it led them to their deaths.

Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "Kili, I don't need a sword to protect myself."

"Yes, but what if you lose your voice?" Kili asked her seriously.

She blinked at him. "What?" Hermione had not been expecting that question.

"What if you lose your voice?" Fili repeated for her, standing next to his younger brother.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Hermione asked them.

It was Ori that popped up with an explanation. "Well, if you lose your voice and you can't speak, how will you be able to do any spells? I bet then you'll wish you had learnt how to use that sword."

The others began murmuring to each other clearly not having expected that. Dwalin stood up with a grin and with a big flourish unsheathed his sword. He knew Dwalin preferred to use an axe but he was just as skilled with a sword and would train her well. Hermione's eyes widened as she took in Dwalin's size and weapon; he may be shorter than her but we was bulky and a seasoned warrior.

"This really isn't necessary." She said nervously, eyeing her opponent as he stepped closer.

The company had formed a circle around them; Dwalin was swinging his sword around trying to intimidate her. Hermione sighed and unsheathed the sword she had carried since they found the troll cave. It was lighter than she expected but she knew it was because of its Elfish make. She didn't know whether to hold it with one hand or two; she didn't know how she was supposed to stand. All of this would be much easier if someone had given her a book on sword fighting!

Hermione held back a squeal as Dwalin finally swung his sword and instead managed to duck in time. She shuffled back a few steps and gripped the sword tightly; apparently they were going to teach her by kicking her ass. Dwalin approached, ready for another attack but she was quicker than he was and lighter on her feet and knew it. Before he could swing the sword down Hermione dodged to the other side and swung at him. He barely managed to block her attack with a surprised look and shoved her back. This continued for several moments and Hermione realised Dwalin was letting her figure out how to move the sword to counter certain moves.

"I'm done." Hermione finally panted, flopping down next to Bilbo.

Dwalin grinned and thumped her on the back. "You did well lass."

She smiled weakly at him and groaned; she was going to be sore tomorrow. She couldn't understand what the appeal of fighting with a sword was. She remembered Harry telling her about the sword of Gryffindor appearing to him in the Chamber of Secrets. She had also seen him a few days after it had happened and even then he could barely move his arms.

Thorin couldn't help but move over to her. He sat down while her eyes were shut and smiled at her exhaustion. He remembered what it had been like learning how to use a sword for the first time. He had learnt with a heavier sword than hers, and had been forced to wear battle armour. Months of training like that had made handling a sword easier and understood when he was older why he had been taught that way; it had made him stronger and quicker on his feet, being so used to fighting with metal weighing him down.

"You did well." He said to her quietly.

The rest of the dwarves had gone to sleep, their entertainment for the night over with. Bombur was snoring loudly already and Ori and Nori were just as loud.

Hermione jumped and opened her eyes. She was surprised he had come to talk to her; she almost wanted to ignore him but there was a nervousness in his eyes that wasn't normally there. He was just as confused about this as she was, she realised. She didn't want to think that everything was confusing for him as it was for her.

"Thanks." She said slowly. "Though I'm not sure I'll get used to it."

"You will." He promised. "It gets easier with practice."

She stared at the ground as silence fell over them. What did she say to him? Were they pretending the kiss hadn't happened? Did he even want to talk about it? She'd never been in a situation like this before. Her best friends had been boys so it wasn't that she didn't know how to talk to the opposite sex.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" She blurted out suddenly, wincing as soon as the question had left her mouth.

Thorin stared at her in surprise. "I haven't." He denied. "Why have you been ignoring me?" He asked when she looked at him pointedly.

"I haven't." She repeated his answer with a smile but sighed. "I guess we've been ignoring each other."

They were silent neither knowing what to say. The crackling fire and the snores from the other dwarves were all that they could hear. Every now and then the trees surrounding them would rustle from the wind but everything else was silent.

"Why did you kiss me?" Hermione asked hesitantly. She wasn't sure if she wanted the answer or not.

Thorin shifted awkwardly. He was not used to discussing such things. "I don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"And now?"

"Now I'm not so sure." He admitted. "You are young..."

"Don't use my age as an excuse." Hermione cut in angrily.

"Do you know how old I am?" Thorin asked her, turning to look at her. She shook her head and he continued. "I am nearly two hundred years old."

Hermione gaped at him. "What?"

"I told you dwarves were amongst the long lived races in Middle Earth. You are still a child compared to me." He said softly turning away.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "So you regret it."

"I do not know." Thorin sighed. "There are times I do but then..." He trailed off uncertainly, not knowing if it would offend her.

"You remember that we're soul mates." She said more bitterly than she meant to. "That's why, isn't it?"

Thorin couldn't meet her eyes. "It is rare..."

"Soul mates aren't something that I believe in so you're going to have to come up with a better excuse than that." She interrupted tersely. "I hardly believe that being told you're soul mates with someone creates the feelings that are usually present when you kiss someone."

This conversation was not going how Thorin planned. She was becoming more than aggravated with him and he was doing nothing to help the situation. If anything the conversation only showed him that she didn't believe what Lord Elrond had said.

"If you do not believe in soul mates then how do you explain why you were sent to Middle Earth?" Thorin questioned. "Can you really ignore the fact that you appeared just as we were beginning our quest?"

"I fell through an arch way that was probably a doorway between worlds." Hermione rationalised. "The rest is simply coincidence..."

"Coincidence?" Thorin snorted at that. "You think it was luck that we found you when we did? Chance?"

"I don't know, okay?" She snapped. "I'm stuck in this world for whatever reason but to be your soul mate hardly sounds logical..."

"Is that what you want? A logical explanation for all of this?" Thorin cut in.

"Stop interrupting me!" Hermione exploded. "I would rather believe that I fell through a mystical doorway."

"Why?" Thorin asked unable to hide the hurt in his voice.

She looked away. How could she make him understand that she didn't want to be pursued – or whatever – because someone told him they were soul mates? She didn't want that to be the reason that they kissed. She wanted him – any guy, really – to want to date her or court her – whatever – because they wanted it.

"Because if I don't then I'm never going to get passed the fact that if anything ever happens between us it'll always be because of what someone told you and not because you wanted it." She said quietly.

Thorin didn't know how to respond. He finally understood her concerns even if he didn't necessarily like it. He was not the type of man that would accept just anything but he understood the rarity of discovering ones soul mate. Knowing it did not magically make feelings appear; those still had to develop on their own and he knew that. Hermione, it seemed, was under the impression that knowing her soul mate meant that her choice in mate was taken from her.

"We may be soul mates but that does not mean that whatever feelings between us develop is because we have no choice in the matter." Thorin said gently.

Hermione sighed. "Doesn't it? Aren't we more likely to think that way because of what we know and not because of what we know of each other?"

"Then we'll get to know each other." Thorin said simply.

Hermione eyed him sceptically. "Get to know each other?"

"Yes."

"Is it really that simple? Get to know each other?"

"Isn't that how other people fall in love?" He asked with a raised brow. "They get to know each, see if they are right for one another."

Hermione considered this; that was the whole idea of dating – getting to know the other person. She could do that, get to know Thorin before making her mind up about the whole thing.

"Alright, we'll get to know each other." She said at last, smiling at him.

So here's the next chapter. Let me know what you think about the conversation between the two.


	9. Chapter 9

**I own nothing except bits of the plot**

**Chapter Nine**

Getting to know each other proved more of a challenge than either of them realised. The closer they travelled to the Misty Mountains, the worse their travelling conditions became. Everyone was tired from their constant travelling by foot even if Hermione had helped by lightening their packs with magic. The weather became steadily worse and often they would find themselves trudging through various wildernesses in pouring rain.

So you can imagine that by the time they stopped for either a short rest or for the night Hermione would curl up as close to their fire as she could and fell asleep within moments. The times that she didn't she found herself training with either Dwalin or Bofur who, it turned out, could be quite handy with a sword. It was times like this that she wished she was back at Hogwarts; she missed home more than she let on. She missed being able to go to her classes, do her homework and seeing Ron and Harry every day.

It was one of those rare nights that she couldn't sleep. She was exhausted from their continuous travelling but there was something nagging at her. Her mind just wouldn't stop and let her get some rest.

"You should be sleeping." Thorin said quietly, not wanting to interrupt the rest of the sleeping dwarves.

She smiled tiredly. "So should you." She wasn't surprised that he was still awake.

"What troubles you?" He asked her after a moment of silence. He could see the weariness in her eyes and sadness.

She sighed, "I'm missing home." She admitted feeling a little awkward. Who was she to complain about missing a home that she had been apart from for only a month while Thorin had been homeless for decades?

"Tell me about it." Thorin suggested though it sounded more like a statement to her.

She smiled, lost in memory. "Hogwarts is a big castle; it's protected by magic to prevent humans from finding it. It'd be summer by now and everyone will probably be getting ready to go home for the holidays. Ron will probably be struggling to finish all of his homework and Harry usually gets moody knowing he'll be going back to his aunt and uncles."

Thorin listened carefully, hearing the longing in her voice. He did not blame her for missing her home and her friends. She was, after all, par taking in a quest that did not concern her. She had no choice about being in Middle Earth – she could have stayed in Rivendell even – and no one could tell her if she would even be able to return to her home.

"What is your preferred subject?" Thorin asked, hearing her ramble on about different classes.

Hermione thought for a moment, "There are too many to choose from. Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts but Ancient Runes is far more challenging."

Thorin smiled, liking how she brightened when she spoke about her studies. He listened patiently while she described the different charms she had learnt in a matter of hours while it took days, sometimes weeks for others to figure out. He had known for a while that she was exceptionally intelligent, far more than anyone he had ever met except perhaps Gandalf.

The more she spoke, the drowsier she became. Thorin simply smiled as Hermione began to nod off against him as she had done on her first night in Middle Earth. He waited until her breathing was slow and heavy before gently lying her down and covering her with an Elvish blanket they had taken from Rivendell.

He, too, had things weighing on his mind. He watched whenever Dwalin or Bofur practiced with Hermione. He was worried about her, about the danger this quest was putting her in. It wasn't just that she was a woman or that he cared for her but it didn't seem fair to him. He had heard her stories about her adventures with her friends year after year. She had her own battles to fight and yet his quest was taking her from that. He could see the worry in her eyes whenever she spoke about her friends and it pained him to know that he was the reason that prevented her from being with her friends.

The next day when Hermione woke it was surprisingly sunny. She smiled at the cheerful dwarves that surrounded her, glad that the change in weather seemed to cheer them. A warm breakfast went a long way in keeping their spirits high and for the first day in many they left their camp without grumbles.

Hermione walked next to Balin, listening raptly to his account of dwarven history. It was the closest she came to learning and it was one of the few things that kept her sane during the day. Fili and Kili's idea of cheering everyone up was performing some ridiculous prank that more often than not got them a whack upside the head from Thorin. Bilbo, unfortunately, was the recipient of those pranks and refused to walk within ten feet of the brothers.

By the time they had stopped for a quick break the sun had gone and dark clouds hovered above them. Thorin eyed the sky critically and sighed. It wouldn't be long until they reached the Misty Mountains but the weather was doing its best to slow them down. Gandalf, at some point, had disappeared to speak with someone elsewhere and had vaguely told the company he would return to them soon.

As he expected, the rain began to pour when they began their journey again. Their path slowly began to lead them uphill as they reached the bottom of the mountain. Hermione sighed as she stared up at the mountain looming above them; she had never been one for hiking, not that she would dare complain. She wanted to be anything but a burden on this quest and had yet to make a complaint beyond the pranks Fili and Kili carried out on Bilbo.

Soon thunder was rolling above them and lightening flashing every so often. It was the only light they had to guide them on their path. The wind rose until they were being pushed against the wall of the mountain. Hermione didn't dare look down not that she would have been able to see anything. The sun had long since set and even if it hadn't, the dark clouds above them certainly would have blocked it.

A loud crack had the company frozen and they stared, shocked, as the mountain began moving.

"It's not a thunder storm." Someone shouted. "It's a thunder battle – look, stone giants. They're real!"

Hermione had never heard of a stone giant before and she certainly didn't want to see one at the present time. Before she could blink the ledge she was standing on moved and she couldn't help but scream as the mountain began to move. She looked over as Thorin and half the company jumped onto a ledge while the rest of them clung on to the knee of the stone giant. She felt sick from the constant rocking of the stone giant and barely registered someone pushing her onto a ledge. She fell limply onto the ground, sighing as her head stopped spinning.

"Where's the hobbit?" Someone called out.

Hermione didn't have a clue what was going on. One moment Thorin was next to her and the next he was skidding down off the edge to help haul Bilbo up. Hermione froze when Thorin didn't reappear and she scrambled to the side, wordlessly levitating him as his fingers slipped. She heard everyone's mutual sigh of relief when their leader was gently lowered onto the rocky path they were all on.

"Fili and Kili – go find a cave for the night." Thorin barked out, his eyes pinned on Hermione.

She was sitting on the ground, a little stunned at what had just happened. She was having a little trouble processing the feelings that had been flowing through her when she didn't see Thorin reappear. Worse was the feeling when she saw his fingers slip.

"Are you alright?" Thorin asked her.

She couldn't reply and she jumped when she felt his hands gently grip her upper arms and hoist her up. She stumbled slightly, her legs feeling like jelly and almost toppled off the ledge. Thorin, thankfully, had quick reflexes and grabbed her before she could fall down. He peered at her, not liking her pale face and confused eyes. She was in shock, he assumed, and so kept her pinned to him as they followed the path that Fili and Kili disappeared down.

So its not one of my best chapters and its been a while. I'm afraid there may be longer waits for the next chapters because a) i haven't finished the book so unless someone gives me a detailed enough account of what happens everyone has to wait b) i'm starting a new course which will actually require me to study. Let me know what you think.


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